Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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628. To ask the Minister for Health to meet with a group (details supplied) in relation to the siting of the new children's hospital. [10094/16]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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782. To ask the Minister for Health to meet with a group (details supplied) in relation to the siting of the new children's hospital. [10095/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 628 and 782 together.

An Bord Pleanála has recently granted planning permission for the new children’s hospital at the St James’s Hospital campus in Dublin. This represents a massive milestone for Irish children, young people and families. The children’s hospitals at Temple Street, Crumlin and Tallaght have always provided superb care to children, but their infrastructure is not fit for purpose for modern 21st century children’s hospitals. The new facilities at the St. James’s Hospital campus will allow doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals to deliver safe, quality care in a purpose-built facility, to be delivered by 2020. Enabling works are to begin this summer. The planning decision also allows construction to begin on satellite urgent care and outpatient centres at Connolly Hospital and at Tallaght Hospital, which are expected to open in 2018, enhancing access to these services.

The previous Government's decision to locate the new children’s hospital on the St. James’s hospital campus was based on the over-riding priority of best clinical outcomes for our children, and in particular the sickest of these. It is intended that the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital will also be built on the campus in time, achieving tri-location of adult, paediatric and maternity services. Tri-location has benefits for children, adolescents, newborns and mothers. In all cases, the benefits of tri-location are maximised where the adult hospital provides the broadest possible range of clinical sub-specialties and expertise, which are readily accessible for paediatric and maternity patients on the shared campus. Also, tri-location that delivers the most significant breadth and depth of clinical and academic research on site will enhance the potential of research to drive best clinical outcomes. St James's Hospital has the widest range of sub-specialities and the highest level of clinical complexity of all the adult hospitals in the country, as well as a strong and well-developed research infrastructure, making it the hospital that best meets the criteria to be the adult co-location partner. Tri-location of paediatric, adult and, in time, maternity services on the shared campus will create a centre of medical expertise to support research, innovation and education.

In relation to meeting with a deputation, my Private Office has no record of having received a request for a meeting from this particular group. If the group submits a meeting request to my Private Office, it will of course be considered in line with the usual procedures.